TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa's iconic Golden Driller has a birthday. The larger-than-life statue turned 55 on Friday, April 9.
The Golden Driller has been in Tulsa since 1966, according to the Travel Oklahoma website. The statue stands 76 feet tall which makes it one of the tallest freestanding statues in the United States. The beloved Golden Driller was even adopted as the Oklahoma state monument
in 1979.
It was first built by the Mid-Continental Supply Company to honor the petroleum industry workers in what was known as the “oil capital of the world.” The Golden Driller became so popular among oil enthusiasts and eventually found its home in Tulsa, the American Oil & Gas Historical Society states on its almanac section.
Since coming to Tulsa, the Golden Driller has withstood all sorts of weather, like tornadoes and snowstorms, as well as the oil derrick where the Driller's right-hand rests.
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